Deep heel itch – nerve damage??

For at least 2 yrs. or more, I’ve had a deep itch in my left heel (above where I step).
It is driving me crazy!
I can’t scratch it or relieve it and I feel driven to dig into the itchy area and see if there is something in there.
I’m feeling desperate, though have not attempted to self-operate yet!.
I wake at night with this intense itch.
I have several herniated discs and have had a numb sensation in my lower left leg for 2 yrs. after a particularly bad episode of back pain which affected my left leg.
Can the two be connected somehow?
I’ve been rubbing on heel crack relief cream but it doesn’t do a thing really as the itch is seemingly so deep in the heel.
Could this be from my back problem?

25 COMMENTS

At least now I know I’m not the only person on the planet with this problem. No sleep again last night due to the iintense itching. Been to dermatologists and podiatrist, and neither has provided treatment that works. Driving me nuts.

Well, you are not alone. I was searching the internet about heel itch at 4 AM (because it wakes me up as well). I’ve had mine for about 2-3 years, but it comes and goes. I may have it for a few weeks, then not for months. It sounds like the same thing as what you are experiencing…a deep itch within the heel. I have not experienced any other symptoms (such as back pain), but I do have eczema on my arms and hands. When I mentioned it to my dermitologist, he looked at my heel and said there is nothing there (not a lot of help).

I was sitting here, scratching my heel, and I decided to search the internet for a possible cause. The site I visited prior to this had me narrow my itch down to my right heel.Then, I read that there is a possibility of this “itch” being associated with nerves and back problems. I have a herniated disc that causes pain in my right lower back and down into my legs.It all makes sense to me now. Like many of you I have tried creams and other typical anti-itch strategies.I “cured” my back pain with hypnosis… I guess I’ll try that for the itch as well! Thanks everyone!

I had persistent itch in my two toes next to my big toe. I treated it as a fungal infection even taking the oral Lamisil. Nothing was working. Turned out to be related to my back. I had previously had two spinal fusions. I had massage to break up scar tissue around the surgery and that removed the issue.

I have had the most crazy itch on the heel of my foot for about a year and a half now. It wakes me throught the night and I end up taking a hairbrush or the hardest, jaggiest thing I can find. I scratch that much that my foot ends up bleeding. I was given cream but it made no difference.It feels like there is something under my skin almost like little balls.Im at my wits end please help!!RegardsCarol

I went to a foot doctor and he took x-rays but saw nothing. I asked about a potential nerve problem and he shrugged, gave me some anti-itch cream, and told me good luck. I wish I could figure out who can fix this problem – it seems like creams (which don’t work) only cover up the cause!

I just experienced a bout of this that nearly drove insane and it was just a few minutes. I used a foam roller and rolled out my leg and thigh and back and it seemed to make it go away. And yes I was dancing and twirling around on my itchy foot like a crazy person beforehand.

I have had this for 10 years and doctors look at me like I’m crazy. I have gone to a general doctor as well as a foot clinic and neither of them have a clue. I have done steroid cream, anti itch cream, anti fungal cream, anti inflammatory cream, solarcaine…you name it. It keeps me up at night and I’m at my wit’s end. I do have a pinched nerve in my c4-c5 which causes my arm to be numb but no one has ever mentioned that perhaps this could be a nerve issue (even though it has crossed my mind). I’m so frustrated

I’ve had this problem for year. Deep itch in my right heel. Best solution I’ve found is to buy a little callous scraper, which is kind of like a cheese grater on one side and like a nail file on the other. You could also use sand paper I suppose. Sand down the outer calloused layers of skin, but be careful not to go too far so you don’t irritate the healthy skin underneath. Next apply lotion several times a day for a few days as the natural callous re-grows. Continue to apply lotion to the heel before bed and first thing in the morning, and it should prevent the itch from returning. Depending on your particular condition you may want to try some athlete’s foot cream too if lotion alone isn’t working.

A word of caution though… My issue seems to be caused by a dry callous, but itchy feet can be signs of diabetes or gout, so you may need to talk to a doctor depending on your own situation.

I have also suffered from this awful condition, earlier this year for about five weeks, tried ice packs and cream from the docs, it eventually went away. Then about four weeks ago it started again and I felt in despair! The cream wasn’t working, only coldness helped and I used to hang my foot out of the bed, but slept badly as a result – in desperation I tried some medium size Compeed blister plasters and found relief straight away!! They have helped me for the last two weeks and I use a new plaster every night, it won’t do two nights – the itch comes back. I am sleeping properly again with both feet in the bed and the heel feels better , not so tender and red. I hope this helps my fellow sufferers, please give it a try.

I also have been experiencing the itching on the heel. Wakes me up at night. I found that by putting gold bond ultimate healing foot cream with aloe on my feet at night with soft loose white socks helps. I also found that by keeping my feet out of the covers when it first begins it will go away. I use the cream every nite and i use a generous amount to cover the entire foot. I have also gone to doctors they feel its because of the pinched nerves in the back. There is no way i will have surgury so i have to live with this foot itch. Ill be reading to see if anyone finds a solution. Good luck to us all!!

Same problem here.It itches so strong that it literally makes me wanna put a knife in my heel:-)))
The only thing that works and stops it right away, is putting my heel unter verrrry hot water-till I feel like burning.When is painful I take it out and it doesn’t itch anymore.
It has been the only thing that worked.It appeared suddenly and now it won’t go away 😞

I push my heel hard onto a carpeted floor and vigorously ‘scrape’ it back and forth so as to cause a friction burn. I continue until I can no longer tolerate the pain from the heat felt deep inside my heel (usually 15-30 seconds). This is the only thing that has regularly worked for me (since dealing with this off and on for the last 10 years or so ). O my God, it feels sooo good until the heat builds up. Then it’s about 5 seconds of tolerable pain and then the itch is gone! I’m usually good for hours after doing this and eventually (usually a couple of weeks or so) the itch goes dormant again for a few months…sometimes it’s even a year or more before it returns. I hope this helps!

I was dealing with this for awhile, i went to a foot doctor and he actually recommended foot creams, go get a pedicure, and occasionally use a butter knife to continue scratching because fingernails arent strong enough to scratch the surface of the heel. In order to relief the deep itching and not able to getnun there cause its so deeo, you have to cause friction with the butter knife. The heat will dissapate the nerves and the itching should go away for awhile. Hope this helps. (Ive had a fused herniated disk) ive had itching up and down both legs but mainly in my feet and my heel just itches like a bitch